Hand punch for t bars of acoustical ceilings



Aug. 1.5, 1967 K. J. KLENK 3,335,494

HAND PUNCH FOR T BARS OF ACOUSTICAL CEILINGS Filed Sept. l5, 1966 INVENTOR KAQLJKLENK BY n o D QTTONEV United States Patent Giiiice 3,335,494 HAND PUNCH FOR T BARS F ACOUSTICAL CEILINGS Karl J. Klenk, Center Mill Road, RD. 1, Chadds Ford, Pa. 19317 Filed Sept. 13, 1966, Ser. No. 579,013 4 Claims. (Cl. 30363) The invention herein disclosed is a hand to-ol, particularly though not exclusively, for punching holes necessary in the T bars used in the installation of acoustical ceilings.

Objects of the invention have been to provide a hand punch strong and powerful enough to perform such work, but of reasonable size to be conveniently carried and used as a hand tool.

'Further special objects of the invention are to provide a tool of this character of simple, practical, low cost construction, with the necessary leverage enabling it to be operated by a normal hand grip.

The novel features of construction, combination and relation of parts through which the purposes of the invention are accomplished, are set forth and will appear in the course of the following specification.

The drawing illustrates a present commercial embodiment of the invention. Structure, however, may be modified `and changed, as regard the immediate illustration; all within the true intent and scope of the invention, as hereinafter defined and claimed.

FIG. l in the drawing is `a side elevation of the tool in open relation ready to punch an opening in a T bar or other object, the latter indicated in broken lines in position for such operation.

FIG. 2 in the drawing is :a sectional view taken along the line 2-2 of FIG. l.

Basically the invention comprises a pair of companion hand levers 5 and 6, convergently related and pivotally connected together at their meeting ends at 7, with one lever, the upper lever in the illustration, carrying a punch 8, pivotally supported at 9, at a point relatively close to the pivotal center 7, and operating through a die block 10, pivotally supported on the lower lever at 11, at a point correspondingly close to the main pivotal center 7.

The punch element is shown as having a screw threaded upper end portion 12, extending through the screw threaded bore 13, in the supporting member 14, -and have ing a screw driver slotted upper end 15, secured in adjusted relation by a lock nut 16.

The hand levers, for lightness and strength, are shown as formed of folded sheet metal, providing parallel side portions.

Advantage is taken of this construction by providing the pivotal supporting members as cylindrical .rollers journaled at opposite ends in the side walls of the handles.

Thus the punch supporting member is shown as a roller 17, rotatably seated in bearing openings 1S, provided in the sides of the upper handle, held in this relation by larger diameter washers 22, engaging over the outer surfaces of the handle and secured by screws 19, entered in the ends of the roller support.

Similarly the die block is shown as pivotally supported by a cylindrical rol-ler 20, journaled at opposite ends in bearing openings 21 in the side walls Iof the lower handle, held so by external washers 22, secured by end screws 23.

The punch operates through co-extensive guiding and bearing openings 24, 25 in the die block and supporting roller respectively.

The die block carries a suitable die 26 cooperative with the punch and secured in adjusted relation by set screw 27.

A coil spring 28 is shown interposed between the upper 3,335,494 Patented Aug. 15, 1967 end of the die Iblock `and the upper bearing roller 14, -about the upper free portion of the punch.

This spring, applying `a lifting and opening force to the plunger `and hand levers.

Additionally there is provided in the illustration a spring 29 coiled about a cross pin 30 on the lower handle and having extended ends 31, 32 engaging inside these handles.

The opening extent of the hand levers is adjustable in the illustration by a set screw 33, on `a prolongation 34 of the upper hand lever, engageable with a corresponding stop prolongation 35 on the lower hand lever.

A special feature is that the invention makes it possible to use screw fastenings for all parts of the device.

The rocking bearings for the punch and for .the die are mounted `and held in place by screws and similarly the handles are joined together by a screw stud, the opening movement is governed by :a screw stud and the crosspin for the handle opening spring is shown as a screw extended between the side walls of the lower handle.

These screw fastenings reduce the cost of construction and enable the parts to be readily assembled or taken apart.

The construction consists of but few arranged `and occupying small space.

The die and cooperating end of the punch are exposed in convenient position for reception of land engagement over the T bars used .in conventional acoustical ceiling installations.

The leverage provided by locating the punch and die centers between the convergent hand levers and relatively close to the convergent center of the levers provides the magnified power to be exerted by hand grip operation and thus render the tool capable of handling heavy work.

The rotatable screw mounting of the punch in the supporting block enables it both to be longitudinally adjusted -in respect to the die land to be faced in difieren-t directions to meet different punch requirements.

The mounting of the punch and the die block on rollers journaled in the side walls of the hand levers, enables these parts to carry heavy loads without imposing such loads on the screw fastenings which secure the parts in place.

The bearing rollers 14, 20 may be substantial duplicates except for the rst having a transverse screw passage through it for the screw stem end portion of the punch and the second having a smooth slightly larger transverse passage through it for the smooth sliding portion of the punch.

The screw seats in the ends of the rollers for the washer holding screws may terminate short of the transverse passages through the rollers as shown at the top in FIG. 2 or for simple manufacturing purposes may be extended as a single continuous screw passage, open at both ends to receive the screws, as indicated at the bottom in that view.

What is claimed is:

1. A hand punch comprising convergently related hand levers of folded sheet metal having parallel side walls meeting in overlapping relation at the apex of convergency,

a pivot stud extending through overlapping portions of said side walls and pivotally connecting said levers for hand grip operation,

a support pivotally journalled in the side walls of one of said levers at a point near the pivotal connection between the levers,

said support having a transverse screw passage extending therethrough,

a punch having a screw threaded stem rotatably adparts, compactly 3 justable in said screw passage for adjustably securing said punch in said support,

a die block pivotally journalled in the side walls of the other hand lever near the pivotal connection between the levers,

said die block having a bearing in the end of the same in which said punch is slidably guided and a die positioned to cooperate with the end of the punch, and

spring means for yieldingly separating the hand levers and for separating said punch and die.

2. The invention according to claim 1 in which said support and the pivotal support for said die block are in the form of rollers and in which said side Walls have bearing openings in which said rollers are rotatably journalled,

screws entered in the ends of said rollers and Washers held by said screws in overlapping relation over the outer ends of said rollers and rotatably confining said rollers in said side Walls.

3. The invention according to claim 2 in which said bearing for the punch is a single guide passage extending continuously through said die block and the roller pivotally supporting the same.

4. The invention according to claim 1 in which said levers have companion relatively adjustable stop elements extending beyond the point of their pivotai connection in the opposite direction from said hand levers for limiting the opening movement of said levers.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,377,055 5/1921 Boisseau 30-363 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,013,655 8/1952 France.

WILLIAM FELDMAN, Primary Examiner.

20 G. WIDENFELD, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A HAND PUNCH COMPRISING CONVERGENTLY RELATED HAND LEVERS OF FOLDED SHEET METAL HAVING PARALLEL SIDE WALLS MEETING IN OVERLAPPING RELATION AT THE APEX OF CONVERGENCY, A PIVOT STUD EXTENDING THROUGH OVERLAPPING PORTIONS AT SAID SIDE WALLS AND PIVOTALLY CONNECTING SAID LEVERS FOR HAND GRIP OPERATION, A SUPPORT PIVOTALLY JOURNALLED IN THE SIDE WALLS OF ONE OF SAID LEVERS AT A POINT NEAR THE PIVOTAL CONNECTION BETWEEN THE LEVERS, SAID SUPPORT HAVING A TRANSVERSE SCREW PASSAGE EXTENDING THERETHROUGH, A PUNCH HAVING A SCREW THREADED SCREW PASSAGE EXTENDJUSTABLE IN SAID SCREW PASSAGE FOR ADJUSTABLY SECURING SAID PUNCH IN SAID SUPPORT, A DIE BLOCK PIVOTALLY JOURNALLED IN THE SIDE WALLS OF THE OTHER HAND LEVER NEAR THE PIVOTAL CONNECTION BETWEEN THE LEVERS, SAID DIE BLOCK HAVING A BEARING IN THE END OF THE SAME IN WHICH SAID PUNCH IS SLIDABLY GUIDED AND A DIE POSITIONED TO COOPERATE WITH THE END OF THE PUNCH, AND SPRING MEANS FOR YIELDABLY SEPARATING THE HAND LEVERS AND FOR SEPARATING SAID PUNCH AND DIE. 